Retaining device for milk-bottle caps.



P. N. FRETWELL.

RETAINING DEVICE FOR MILK BOTTLE CAPS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, l9l6.

UNTTED BTALTEB PATENT @FFTQF.

PHILLIP N. FRE'IWELL, 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO LEANDER S. DUNSCOMB, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

RETAINING DEVICE FOR MILK-BOTTLE GAPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 191?.

Application filed February 26, 1916. Serial 1'1 0. 80,676.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILLIP N. FRETWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Retaining Devices for Milk-Bottle Caps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel type of retaining device, for a milk bottle cap, that will be so associated with the cap that when in operative position it will cause the cap to tightly seal the mouth of the milk bottle, and when moved to partial inoperative position it will give a corresponding movement to the cap, so as to admit of the pouring of the contents of the bottle, and when wholly moved to inoperative position will withdraw the cap entirely from the bottle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retaining device of this character, that will be of simple construction and can be conveniently operated.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the retainer, showing the same applied to the mouth of the bottle neck.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the retainer.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the retainer removed from the bottle neck.

Referring to the drawing, the letter A designates the neck of the usual type of milk bottles, having its upper end provided with a circumferential bead or flange B.

The milk bottle cap, is shown by the numeral 1 and in this instance, the cap is of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bottle neck, and rests upon the upper edge of the flange or bead B, instead of being inserted within the mouth of the bottle, as in the usual manner.

The retaining device is in the nature of a flat disk 2, which overlies the cap 1, and is provided with an elongated opening 3. The longitudinal walls of the opening 3 are provided at opposite points with concaved cutout portions l and 5, so as to provide the opposing and inwardly extending spaced fingers 6, as shown in Fig. 4: of the drawing.

The diameter of the disk 2 exceeds that of the cap 1, so that when the disk is in operative position, the peripheral edge of the disk 2 extends beyond the peripheral edge of the cap 1. The disk 2 is provided at diametrically opposite points with a pair of depending and inwardly extending resilient fingers 7 and 8. When the disk is in operative position, the fingers 7 and 8 engage under the flange or bead B, on the neck of the bottle, and cause the disk to tightly press the cap 1 into engagement with the flange B.

The upper ends of the fingers 7 and 8 gradually emerge into the body of the disk 2, to provide manipulating portions 9 and A stop flange 11 depends from the peripheral edge of the disk 2, at a point between the fingers and 8 and engages the flange B, as shown in Fig. 1, when the disk 2 is in operative position and limits the sliding movement of the disk in one direction.

In use, the cap 1 is positioned against the under side of the disk 2, and that segmental portion of the disk, located between the fingers 7 and 8 and opposite the depending stop flange 11, is mounted on the upper edge of the flange B, and pressure exerted on the stop flange 11, causing the disk and cap to slide over the upper edge of the flange B, resulting in the fingers 7 and 8 engaging under the flange B and causing the disk 2 to press the cap 1 into tight engagement with the upper side of the flange B. Movement of the disk is continued until the flange 11 engages the adjacent side of the flange B, so as to limit the movement of the disk. When it is desired to pour the contents from the bottle the disk 2 is slid in the opposite direction, and owing to the frictional engagement between the disk and the cap 1, the cap will be given simultaneous movement, so as to uncover the mouth of the bottle.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

The combination with a bottle having an annular bead at the open end thereof, of a cap removably and slidably positioned upon the upper side of the annular bead and overlying the open end of the bottle, a disk overlying and engaging the upper side of the cap and havlng a diameter exceeding the diameter of the cap, downwardly and inwardly extending straight reslllent fingers carried by the periphery of the disk and spaced sufliciently from the annular bead on 15 the bottle to provide manipulating portions, the lower ends of the fingers frictionally engaging the sides of the annular bead, so as to cause tight engagement between the cap and the disk, and a downwardly extend- 20 ing flange carried by the disk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILLIP N; FRETWELL.

Witnesses:

' W. C. ADAMSON, L. J. DUNSCOMB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

